Favorite superhero universes that aren't Marvel/DC?

[Hybrid]

I've been looking into "alternative superheroes" because I love the genre but don't just want it in the styles of Marvel/DC all the time. It's cool to see what other people come up with. As for me...

• Valiant Comics due to the expansive universe, smart writing and unique characters inspired by modern archetypes, science fiction and historical characters, and pulp-style adventurers, rather than many others just happily making Big Two expies.
• My Hero Academia, due to mixing shonen tropes and portraying a world where everyone is super, and examining what a superhero society would look like, while also just being fun to watch.

What about you?

[Kirby101]

Does Mignolaverse count?

And Astro City.

[babyblob]

It is by far The Watchmen for me. I love it.

[From The Shadows]

Wildstorm/Image I guess. I know DC bought Wildstorm but are they a part of the DC universe or just owned by DC? If not them. I used to read Wild C.A.T.S, Storm Watch and Gen 13 but I had to cut down on comics when I became more strapped for money and Image was more expensive.

I always wanted to try The Authority and Astro City but see above. Currently, though I am sort of in the same boat again so I wont be able to get a trades any time soon.

[babyblob]

I cant believe it took me so long to think of this. But the Ninja Turtles. The first Superhero world I was ever exposed to thanks to the cartoon.

[K7P5V]

Definitely the JUSTICE FRIENDS:

[PaulBullion]

I have a weird fascination with the Archie superheroes. I downloaded a lot of Golden Age comics for free, bought the trade paperback of the somewhat silly Mighty Crusader stories and a lot of the recent attempts to revive the characters. Best among that bunch were the two The Fox minis, I can't recommend those highly enough.

[MRP]

Do the King features characters-The Phantom, Flash Gordon, Mandrake et. al. count as a super-hero universe? If so, that would be my #1.







-M

[Speed Force League Unlimited]

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Especially this version



And the Mirage Comics stories.

[Jim Kelly]

When I was a little kid in the 1960s and Batmania hit there was an explosion of super-hero content. But being a little kid from a poor family, I didn't have a whole lot of money, so I couldn't get that many comics. Some were second-hand. Still, based on that limited reading, I had my favourite comics that I would read over and over again.

The king of these was a coverless, second-hand copy of the giant SUPER HEROES VS SUPER VILLAINS from the Mighty Comics Group. To me that was the greatest comic book of all time and I treasured every story in it. Not having much else from the Mighty Comics Group, I had to imagine all the other adventures of the Mighty Crusaders and their back stories. I did also have another coverless, second-hand comic which was ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE 43, that had a cameo from the Mighty Crusaders and featured Captain Sprocket, along with other losers in the Union of Super Heroes (e.g. the Blue Beam). And, of course, like any kid I read a fair number of Archies, so I knew about the super-hero identities of all the Riverdale gang--and the Mighty Crusaders cameoed with them, so by extension they were all in the same universe.

Another second-hand coverless comic I had was SUPERHEROES No. 1 from Dell, that featured the origin story of the Fab Four--four teens that merge with the robot bodies of four super-heroes from the future. Again, I had to imagine all the other adventures that the Fab Four must have had.

And then there's THE MIGHTY HEROES, this was a comic from Gold Key and I got the third issue at the drugstore--an actual brand new copy. Of course, the Mighty Heroes had their own Saturday morning cartoon show (1966-67)--and they spoofed other super-heroes, but I didn't hold that against them. What I liked about them is that there was virtually no idea too stupid that you couldn't base a super-hero on it. That unleashed my imagination and I started to create super-heroes out of the flimsiest of items around me.

[GOLGO 13]

One Punch Man.

[WillieMorgan]

Does Watchmen count? Especially in a post Doomsday Clock world?

If so, then that as it's my favourite series of all time. I even enjoy the Before Watchmen prequels. Although not a patch on the original series they were decent period pieces for me, especially the Minutemen one by Darwyn Cooke.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Very much enjoyed the DNAgents from Eclipse Comics back in the 80s. They had spin off books like Crossfire, New DNAgents, Surge and Whodunit. There was also a mini by Marvel's Epic line titled Hollywood Superstars that took place in the same universe. Others that I've enjoyed are Malibu's Ultraverse Silverline and Geenes line of books, Future Comics, Shooter's Defiant and Broadway comics .

But my all time favorites are both the original and current Valiant Universes.

[Jack Dracula]

Mark Millar's Jupiter's Legacy and Jupiter's Circle books are pretty good.

Back in the '90s Dark Horse published the Comics Greatest World titles. Most of those are worth reading.

[Steel Inquisitor]

WildStorm. RIP.

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